Filed under: Articles of Interest, California, Federal law, Law in the News]]>https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/law-in-the-news-court-dismisses-3rd-lawsuit-against-hen-cage-law/feed/0livnath2013Law in the News: Judge tosses challenge to SF ‘Airbnb law’ but future suits likelyhttps://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/law-in-the-news-judge-tosses-challenge-to-sf-airbnb-law-but-future-suits-likely/
https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/law-in-the-news-judge-tosses-challenge-to-sf-airbnb-law-but-future-suits-likely/#commentsMon, 02 Feb 2015 00:35:58 +0000http://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/?p=1095]]>Just days before San Francisco’s “Airbnb law” is scheduled to take effect, a federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a challenge to the law from rival vacation-rental firm HomeAway but left the door open for HomeAway customers to file their own lawsuit.

The ordinance legalizes and regulates vacation-rentals in private homes. HomeAway claimed that it was tailored for Airbnb’s business model and asked for a preliminary injunction to stop it from taking effect Sunday. That implementation date can go forward, the court ruled.

HomeAway’s objections focused on residency and tax requirements.

Most of the 1,200 San Francisco rentals advertised on HomeAway and its subsidiary VRBO are second homes, whose owners live elsewhere and thus don’t meet the permanent residency requirement. And the law said that “hosting platforms” must collect and remit San Francisco’s 14 percent hotel tax. HomeAway argued that it is not a middleman like Airbnb, which handles the entire rental transaction, but merely a marketplace — more like Craigslist or the newspaper classifieds — where homeowners can list the spaces.

Filed under: Info For Students, Library News]]>https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/legal-research-certificate-classes-start-tuesday/feed/0livnath2013Law in the News: Obama, in Tennessee, Begins Selling His Community College Tuition Planhttps://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/law-in-the-news-obama-in-tennessee-begins-selling-his-community-college-tuition-plan/
https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/law-in-the-news-obama-in-tennessee-begins-selling-his-community-college-tuition-plan/#commentsSun, 18 Jan 2015 20:56:38 +0000http://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/?p=1089]]>In California, community college tuition and fees average less than $1,500 a year, the lowest in the nation, and with government grants, most students pay nothing. In Florida and Michigan, the cost is over $3,000, yet poorer students still attend free. But in Vermont and New Hampshire, prices are around $7,000, well over what government grants cover.

That broad range means that President Obama’s proposal to make community college tuition-free nationwide — if Congress and the states were to embrace it — would benefit every student of the two-year colleges, but that far greater benefits would go to students in the states with the highest tuition. And while it would aid the economically hard-pressed, it would also effectively extend federal aid to millions of middle- and upper-income students who do not qualify for it currently.Read full article in New York Times.

Filed under: Articles of Interest, Federal law, Law in the News, Uncategorized]]>https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/law-in-the-news-obama-in-tennessee-begins-selling-his-community-college-tuition-plan/feed/0livnath2013Law in the News: Foie Gras Producers, Restaurants Defeat California Banhttps://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/law-in-the-news-foie-gras-producers-restaurants-defeat-california-ban/
https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/law-in-the-news-foie-gras-producers-restaurants-defeat-california-ban/#commentsMon, 12 Jan 2015 02:45:36 +0000http://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/?p=1087]]>A California ban on foie gras can’t be enforced because it violates U.S. poultry regulations, a federal judge said in a victory for producers of the delicacy made from fattened duck and goose livers.

The ban, which took effect in 2012, was the first by a state to make it illegal to sell foie gras. Animal-rights advocates supported the ban, arguing that force-feeding ducks and geese with a tube inserted in the esophagus to fatten their livers was cruel.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson in Los Angeles agreed with American and Canadian producers and a restaurant group suing to overturn the prohibition that the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act preempts California from imposing its own rules on poultry ingredients and sales.Read the article on Bloomberg.com

Filed under: Articles of Interest, California, Federal law, Law in the News]]>https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/law-in-the-news-foie-gras-producers-restaurants-defeat-california-ban/feed/0livnath2013Law in the News: New Year, New Rules: A Look At Laws Going Into Effect In 2015https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/law-in-the-news-new-year-new-rules-a-look-at-laws-going-into-effect-in-2015/
https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/law-in-the-news-new-year-new-rules-a-look-at-laws-going-into-effect-in-2015/#commentsMon, 05 Jan 2015 01:39:51 +0000http://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/?p=1085]]>Banning leaf blowers? Redefining “milk?” Making living conditions better for hens? In 2015, a number of new state and local laws will go into effect across the country, and you may see some of these changes being made in your area.Read article on ABC News.Filed under: Articles of Interest, California]]>https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/01/04/law-in-the-news-new-year-new-rules-a-look-at-laws-going-into-effect-in-2015/feed/0livnath2013Law in the News: Supreme Court considers extent of free speech over Internethttps://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2014/11/30/law-in-the-news-supreme-court-considers-extent-of-free-speech-over-internet/
https://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/2014/11/30/law-in-the-news-supreme-court-considers-extent-of-free-speech-over-internet/#commentsMon, 01 Dec 2014 00:23:25 +0000http://hastingslawlibrary.wordpress.com/?p=1083]]>WASHINGTON — Anthony Elonis claimed he was just kidding when he posted a series of graphically violent rap lyrics on Facebook about killing his estranged wife, shooting up a kindergarten class and attacking an FBI agent.But his wife didn’t see it that way. Neither did a federal jury.

Elonis, who’s from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was convicted of violating a federal law that makes it a crime to threaten another person.

In a far-reaching case that probes the limits of free speech over the Internet, the Supreme Court on Monday was to consider whether Elonis’ Facebook posts, and others like it, deserve protection under the First Amendment.Read article on PBS

The SPCA Dog Therapy program is coming back to the Law Library beginning Monday, December 8th. Dog therapy is designed to be a fun stress-reliever for our busy students, a gift of some happy-go-lucky play with a furry friend as relief from studying. So take a break and let one of these trained, friendly dogs help you forget all about the law for a few minutes.

Our doggie “therapists” will be located on the fourth floor of the 200 McAllister building in the Library. Students are welcome to sign up for 10-minute stress break sessions. All dogs are friendly and trained and accompanied by experienced SPCA volunteers. Sign-up sheets and more information can be found at the Library circulation desk.

Dogs therapy is being offered in Study Room 412 in the Library at the following times: